I'm glad you learned this lesson without consequence. It's one we all make and (hopefully) never make again.

I have a couple rules in regards to mountains and just general climbing/hiking/camping/whatever.

-Respect the Mountain- As cheesy as this sounds, it's absolutely necessary. Nothing man can do will beat the mountain. Never think your experience outweighs that giant storm headed your way.

-On that note-know your limits. Never be afraid to give up. While that is awful life advice, I'd say this is good staying alive advice. Also, watch your friends, and more importantly, yourself. It's easy to see changes in friends, but exceedingly difficult to notice when you're struggling.

-Be prepared for almost anything. Carry too much water. Carry too much food. Carry a little bit more water. Hydrate and eat well the day prior. Pack one jacket warmer then you'll think you need. Never leave without matches, a compass, a map, chapstick, and sunglasses. Triple check everything. I'd highly suggest doing this for every damn hike you go on. Build the habits early.

As you get into more technical stuff-PRACTICE FIRST. If your'e not comfortable with arrests run through them a couple times before you start. Run through every position(front, back, feetfirst, headfirst) and then throw a pack on and do it again. You should never be in a position where you may need to arrest if you aren't already comfortable with it. Once you master one skill add another-build anchors with an ax, practice roped pairs or whatever else you want to do.

Anyways, thanks for the post! Sounds like you had a great time, I'm quite jealous.. Enjoy the future hikes.